Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This session will be an engagement with the Bar of Ireland. I am pleased to welcome Mr. Paul McGarry, senior counsel, chairman of the Bar of Ireland, who also chairs its working group on Brexit, and Mr. Patrick Leonard, senior counsel. Earlier today, the special committee had an extensive debate with representatives of a range of sectors who offered interesting insights into the economic impact of and solutions to some of the problems presented by Brexit. Our engagement with the Bar of Ireland has focused thus far on the opportunities Brexit offers Ireland. We appreciate the documentation circulated to members in advance of the meeting. The doctoral thesis I received from the Bar of Ireland makes for heavy but very worthwhile reading and offers the types of ambitious solutions the special committee has been mandated to explore.

We are grateful to Mr. McGarry and Mr. Leonard for coming before us this morning. Before we begin, I will read the standard note on privilege. Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I welcome Mr. McGarry and ask him to make his opening remarks.